Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Athens council approves pilot to allow three Conestoga-style micro-shelters at The Gathering Place
Summary
After hours of public testimony and debate, Athens City Council approved ordinance 112-25 to allow a one-year pilot placing up to three supervised micro-shelters at The Gathering Place, with annual review and specified safety/sanitation limits enforced by the service safety director.
Athens City Council voted to adopt ordinance 112-25 on Nov. 17, 2025, allowing a narrowly scoped pilot to place three Conestoga-style micro-shelters at 15 & 7 North Congress Street — the property commonly known as The Gathering Place. The ordinance adds temporary housing shelters as a permitted use in the specified R-3 residential zone subject to annual review and operational limits.
Council member Jessica Thomas, who introduced the ordinance, described the principal permitted use as "Temporary housing shelters... commonly known as the Gathering Place and owned by Athens Mental Health Incorporated," and said approvals will include an annual review by the service safety director and may be revoked "for…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
